6276. atheq
Lexical Summary
atheq: Ancient, old

Original Word: עָתֵק
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: `atheq
Pronunciation: aw-thake'
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-thake')
KJV: durable
NASB: enduring
Word Origin: [from H6275 (עָתַק - become old)]

1. antique, i.e. valued

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
durable

From athaq; antique, i.e. Valued -- durable.

see HEBREW athaq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from atheq
Definition
valuable, advanced, eminent, surpassing
NASB Translation
enduring (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
עָתֵק adjective Thes (ancient and so) valuable; < advanced, eminent, surpassing (compare preceding, hence surpassing, choice Lane1947); — ׳הוֺן ע Proverbs 8:18 eminent wealth.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Setting

The adjective עָתֵק appears once in the Old Testament, in the Wisdom discourse of Proverbs 8. Wisdom personified declares, “With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and righteousness” (Proverbs 8:18). Within the literary frame of Proverbs, this single usage invests the term with particular weight: the treasures associated with divine wisdom are not transient but enduring.

Theological Significance

1. Permanence versus transience. Throughout Scripture, true blessing is frequently contrasted with fleeting worldly gain (Psalm 49:16-17; Matthew 6:19-21). By describing wealth as עָתֵק, Proverbs 8 points to treasure that remains intact across generations and, ultimately, into eternity.
2. Moral quality of riches. The verse couples “enduring wealth” with “righteousness,” uniting material and moral goods under Wisdom’s aegis. Wealth divorced from righteousness decays; wealth wedded to uprightness abides (Proverbs 10:2).
3. Reflection of God’s own character. The durability implied by עָתֵק echoes divine attributes such as faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:9) and steadfast love (Psalm 136). Wisdom is inseparable from the Lord (Proverbs 8:22-31); thus her treasures share His permanence.

Intercanonical Connections

Proverbs 8:18 anticipates New Testament teaching on “treasure in heaven” (Luke 12:33-34) and the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).
• The Septuagint renders עָתֵק with ἀρχαῖος (“ancient”), highlighting the idea of riches that pre-exist and outlast earthly economies, aligning with Revelation 13:8, which speaks of “the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.”
• Wisdom’s durable riches find fulfillment in the eternal inheritance “kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).

Historical and Rabbinic Insight

Early Jewish commentary recognized Wisdom’s wealth as Torah itself—durable because God’s word “stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). Later rabbinic tradition linked the term to the enduring honor of those who study and live out God’s precepts, reinforcing the unity of spiritual and material blessing under divine covenant.

Practical and Ministry Application

• Discipleship: Believers are urged to evaluate investments—time, resources, affections—in light of their durability. Church teaching can anchor stewardship programs in the concept of עָתֵק, steering congregations toward ministries that produce eternal dividends.
• Counseling: When addressing material anxiety, pastors can contrast volatile earthly markets with Wisdom’s enduring wealth, directing hearts to the security found in Christ (Hebrews 13:5-6).
• Mission: Kingdom work gains urgency and encouragement when seen as accumulation of עָתֵק treasure, motivating sacrificial giving and service (Philippians 4:17).

Christological Perspective

Wisdom’s self-presentation in Proverbs 8 is a foreshadowing of Christ, “who has become for us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). In Him are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). The durable wealth of עָתֵק thus reaches its fullest expression in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ, whose resurrection guarantees that those united to Him possess riches “that will never perish, spoil, or fade” (1 Peter 1:4).

Forms and Transliterations
עָ֝תֵ֗ק עתק ‘ā·ṯêq ‘āṯêq aTek
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Englishman's Concordance
Proverbs 8:18
HEB: אִתִּ֑י ה֥וֹן עָ֝תֵ֗ק וּצְדָקָֽה׃
NAS: and honor are with me, Enduring wealth
KJV: and honour [are] with me; [yea], durable riches
INT: for wealth Enduring and righteousness

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 6276
1 Occurrence


‘ā·ṯêq — 1 Occ.

6275
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